The most common kind of the benign tumor is the pleomorphic adenoma in the salivary glands which is also called the mixed tumor as the tissues are originated from various types of cells. Looking at the tumor’s physical appearance, it appears to be a hard and a painless mass that usually grows gradually over time.
It mostly develops in the parotid gland with very rare instances of occurrence in the submandibular glands or in the minor salivary glands. Though salivary glands are the glands from where the saliva are produced but the parotid gland is regarded as the largest salivary gland that is found near the upper teeth and the just beneath the ear. It is generally found to occur in the people of age group 45 – 60 years and is mostly detected in females than in males. One can associate factors like chain smoking and radiation exposure with the pleomorphic adenoma, but usually it happens because of the blockage of the salivary ducts. If left untreated, the tumor can become malignant where the cancerous tumor is called the malignant mixed tumor or the carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma.
Generally a fine needle aspiration (FNA) is used to diagnose the presence of the pleomorphic adenoma, and CT (computer tomography) scans and the MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) tests are also conducted to examine its place and size. The surgical resection is the common treatment done to remove the pleomorphic adenoma or the organ that is affected by it, but good care is to be taken while performing the surgery as it can also cause the damage of the facial nerves. The complete removal of the adenoma tumor is done with scalpel for the benign tumors in the salivary glands.